A large table of dishes, steaming hot and more abundant than the evening before. The women could hardly speak, only managed to smile, pressed on, and with no fear at all, politely said, "Enjoy your meal," and then withdrew, leaving behind only two rows of wet footprints. It wasn't human at all. Chang Dong found himself with little appetite; among the group, it was only Fei Tang who, with a simple motion of his sleeve, devoured his food with gusto: "Eat! If you don't eat, you'll be wasting your time!" When Fei Tang was nearly swallowed by the stream of soup, he thought he was done for—only to be suddenly and wholely returned to his seat, as if enlightened: death, after all, was merely a matter of a few seconds. He had spent so much time fearing it—how foolish! That time could have been spent simply enjoying meals and drinks. With that realization, he seized a chicken leg, bit into it with great enthusiasm, completely oblivious to the complex expression on Zhen Shanhe's face as he watched. Occasionally, she'd lift her head and encourage others: "Eat up, it's not toxic—really, if they wanted to eliminate us, they'd have done so right when we were on the water. We'd all be gone by now. Honestly, I still can't figure it out. Why not just enjoy the meal? We haven't had a proper feast of large, fresh fish and meat in a long time!" Though the words were plain, the reasoning was sound, and one after another, the chopsticks began to be lifted. She hadn't even scolded Changdong yet, and those women were already getting all excited—was she really a vegetarian? Changdong smiled, reaching out from under the table to cover her hand, lightly brushing her palm with the tip of his thumb twice before withdrawing his hand. Ye Liuxi lowered her head to eat her vegetables. Once the atmosphere relaxed, there was no need to avoid the main topic anymore. Fei Tang turned to Gao Shen and asked, "Hey, Old Gao, you're the expert—what do you think these women are all about?" How could he possibly be considered an expert? Gao Shen was naturally tongue-tied and struggled to explain himself, and he simply couldn't escape being pushed into this position: "Something to do with water, I think." Fei Tang said, "That's strange—completely unexpected, just like last time. Do you remember, Dongguang? Last time we were stuck in the garage, I thought we were going to be cut off entirely. But when the door opened, boom—everything was fine." Ding Liu suddenly had an idea: "Oh! That time, it was actually Xi Jie who got upset—I remember her grabbing at her collar." "Fei Tang slammed the table: "Yes, this time it was Sister Xi who knocked the person down. Sister Xi's anger is truly her ultimate weapon—more effective than even Xiao Liu's head. Sister Xi, why not just let your passion build up all the way from now on? With you like that, we'll surely go through without a hitch." ... Chang Dong glanced at Ye Liuxi. Some jokes, in fact, aren't very funny at all. He had a strong intuition that the matter was still tied to Ye Liuxi. —— They had been offered five guest rooms, though either adjacent or facing each other. In such a place full of intricate mechanisms, Chang Dong genuinely didn't dare to have guests stay in separate rooms—what if, in the middle of the night, one room quietly vanished without a trace? He had requested a larger room, and the other side had readily agreed. The new room clearly reserved for VIP guests, with a lake view and a private bathroom. This treatment left him feeling uneasy. The next morning, before dawn, Chang Dong was woken up by the vibrations of the land and the buildings. Even without opening the windows, he could sense that the entire village was gradually sinking beneath the ground. He thought for a moment: after passing the reception gate, one had to cross a vast expanse of flowing water that blocked the way on the ground—unless... they were going underground? The breakfast was quite abundant, and upon finishing, they were even given gifts: two barrels of gasoline, several pounds of braised beef, a roasted lamb leg, a basket of white buns and flatbread—enough to last several days. When Fei Tang received the gifts on behalf of everyone, he genuinely doubted he was dreaming—the contrast between last night and this morning was astonishing. The layout of the village beneath the ground had changed, now resembling a dimly lit underground palace. The leading woman personally guided them, winding through several turns, until they reached a plain-looking large room. The door slowly opened, revealing not a room, but a long, dark tunnel. The leading woman made a gesture of invitation. Chang Dong took a deep breath, turned on the headlights, and slowly drove up the slope into the house. The door closed behind him with a quiet snap. He paused, listening. The stillness around him was a bit eerie, with only the occasional sound of dripping water. A strange cold seeped through the windows, making Ding Liu shiver slightly. "Chang Dong said, 'Xiao Liu is right—the reception gate resembles a submarine capable of operating both on land and underwater. Once it sinks beneath the ground, it doesn't remain stationary; instead, it moves along the lakebed. The entrance to the tunnel is actually located at a hidden spot beneath the lake, and this room serves as a docking interface. Once the two sections connect, we are guided into the tunnel.' Indeed, the arrangements for welcoming and escorting guests are quite well thought out. Fei Tang wasn't satisfied: 'What if someone manages to dive beneath the lake and discovers that tunnel entrance?' Chang Dong replied, 'First of all, don't forget that there are underwater currents extending from the lakebed. Secondly, even if they find it, without the docking mechanism to open the tunnel doors, they won't be able to access it.' Ding Liu added, 'Thirdly, even if they force open the doors, the water will flood in, and anyone inside would surely perish.' Chang Dong suddenly remembered something: 'Ah, after passing through the tunnel and rejoining the main road, I'd like to pause and wait.' Ding Liu was puzzled: 'Wait for whom?' 'For Li Jin'ao.' He was traveling along the same route to Black Stone City, and it would take only a couple of days—strangely, the welcoming gate seemed odd. I suspect those women might also have been listed among the antiquities on the ancient shelves, so I wanted to ask him about it. Fei Tang nodded vigorously: "Yes, it's strange that they just let us pass without a fuss. Now they're even bringing gasoline and food, as if... afraid we won't make it to Black Stone City." —After about two and a half hours, the road ahead was sealed, but the seal shimmered and rippled like a transparent water wall. There was a white-painted square frame on the ground, inscribed with the words "Vehicles Enter." It seems the connection will be made here. Chang Dong drove the vehicle into the frame. As he stopped, he heard a series of rhythmic sounds. He looked back—by then, the tunnel entrance had sealed shut. A moment later, the vehicle jolted and was suddenly pushed forward with great force, plunging into the water. Chang Dong was first stunned, then quickly realized: the car was indeed submerged in water, yet it was moving steadily without the engine running. Though water reeds and swimming fish were visible through the windows, the car hadn’t taken in any water. Not long after, the car splashed out of the water and was pushed onto the shore. Ye Liuxi hurried to look back, only to see the lake surface surge with waves before calming down instantly. The sky was a bit overcast, with a cold breeze blowing steadily. Thick clouds covered the countryside, and sparse yellow grass grew along the banks. A directional sign stood a short distance away—blue background, white letters—almost identical to those used in cities. It was truly rare; he had never seen such signs before at the entrance gate of the welcome pavilion. As the car drew closer, the sign read "Black Stone City, 400 kilometers." It would take roughly a full day to reach there. Chang Dong followed the indicated route and drove another several dozen kilometers before stopping at the first red-flowered tree inn he encountered. He decided to wait for Li Jinao here. Though the inn was modest, with only a dozen simple cottages, it was notably well-built, situated directly The owner was quite proud: "You're from the small Yangzhou, right? I've heard that in distant places, the magnolia trees have to grow underground—here, we're different. Our peace and safety are excellent." It seemed that the welcoming gate indeed blocked out many spirits and ghosts. The group settled in at the inn. In the afternoon, the three-wheeled motorcycle from the night before rumbled by. By late evening, the ox cart arrived, clattering along, followed by the several sturdy men who had been traveling. Fei Tang hurried over to inquire, only to be surprised to learn that neither group knew what had happened—only that they had fainted after breakfast, and when they awoke, they found themselves at this shore. Fortunately, the ox kept calling out intermittently, otherwise they might have slept right here until nightfall. It appeared that not everyone could see what happened as they passed through the welcoming gate. — Li Jin'ao waited just long enough for two full days. During those days, every time he met the storekeeper, the storekeeper would inevitably chat on about, "It's going to snow," "The first snow of this year is coming." This made Chang Dong suddenly feel inspired—what if Li Jin'ao arrived accompanied by snow, creating a poetic scene? Yet that didn't happen. On the third day in the morning, Fei Tang went out on patrol: to ensure he wouldn't miss Li Jin'ao, several people would take turns climbing to the roof, holding telescopes to scan the road ahead. Fei Tang climbed up the roof with the help of Gao Shen. As soon as he picked up the telescope, he shouted excitedly, "Whoa! Amazing! Li Jin'ao is chasing Zhen Si Hai! Whoa! Zhen Si Hai is counterattacking—no, Zhen Si Hai is chasing Li Jin'ao! Over here! Over here!" It was truly like a live broadcast—just as he finished speaking, a series of gurgling sounds could be heard. Li Jin'ao took a swift step into the courtyard, with Zhen Si Hai hot on his heels, his feathers standing on end like a chicken's crown, his neck feathers bristling. At the same time, Zhen Shan He was trembling all over, his eyes wide open, as if afraid he'd miss something spectacular. Li Jin'ao shouted, "Hey, brother, help! Help! Catch this chicken!" In his panic, Li Jin'ao only focused on dodging and didn't even recognize Chang Dong's party. Changdong had never handled chickens before and was now at a loss. Ye Liuxi had drawn his knife, and though he'd heard it was supposed to be about catching, he wasn't sure how to proceed. Ding Liu, who found the chickens smelled too strong, stayed hidden by the doorframe, refusing to come out. Only Fei Tang, bustling about with animated gestures, directed from the roof with a sense of deep expertise: "That's it—yes, that's it—catch!" High-sophisticated, as expected, struck the mark with one well-placed move. Five minutes later, two chickens stood in stark contrast by the doorframe. Zhen Shanhe remained quietly nestled, neither tied nor even with a rope, his expression calm and composed. Zhen Sihai's chickens had their feet bound and their bodies wrapped tightly, like a twisted rope, still persistently hopping, clearly harboring a resilient, unyielding spirit within. Li Jinao was drenched in sweat, constantly expressing his gratitude to Gao Shen: "It's a pleasure to meet you! Truly fortunate—another chance to see you. Oh, what a white-eyed, ungrateful chicken! I thought it would adapt, but it's so wild Chang Dong remained composed: "We had some urgent matters that day and didn't have time to wait for you before we left. In the past few days, once the affairs were settled, we thought it would be good to wait a while—perhaps we could even take you along for a bit more of the journey." Li Jinao was overjoyed: "Oh, you truly are so kind—such extraordinary politeness!" Chang Dong smiled: "Did you pass through the Welcome Gate?" As soon as the topic of the Welcome Gate came up, Li Jinao became animated: "Yes, I did! It's so advanced—I didn't expect it to be this sophisticated. I thought it would just be a big open doorway." Chang Dong said: "It's quite interesting, and the reception staff inside are no ordinary people." He then gave a subtle nod to Ding Liu. Ding Liu immediately stepped forward warmly: "Uncle Jinao, those reception staff—they leave a trail of water behind every step, aren't they? It's as if they're water spirits! I was so startled that I couldn't sleep all night, thinking how wonderful it would have been if Uncle Jinao had been there—after all Ding Liu’s heart pounded: “What exactly is a ‘water eye’?” Li Jinao said: “Think about it—on this earth, is water the only thing that remains connected as one? Two large lakes may appear separate, yet they might be linked by underground rivers; in deserts, there’s no visible water, but moisture is always present in the air. Isn’t water, whether frozen, flowing, or in vapor form, always somehow connected?” Chang Dong roughly grasped his meaning: the world’s water systems form a single, unified whole, constantly transforming between gas, liquid, and solid states, creating an unceasing dynamic system. Ding Liu didn’t fully understand, yet nodded vigorously, eager to hear more: “Yes.” “So,” Li Jinao said with vivid enthusiasm, “if water has a spirit, then when water in one place sees something, will water in another place see it too? A ‘water eye’ is precisely such a spirit.” “The water eyes come in male and female pairs. Even if they are thousands of miles apart, what each one sees is instantly shared—what we call ‘a water eye spanning thousands of miles, able to discern even the finest details.’” "People find it easy to use the water eyes, but if they want to separate the male and female ones, the water eyes are simply a pair of eyes. Have you ever seen eyeglasses? Those transparent, layered ones—just place the water eyes into the layers, and then slide the glasses onto your nose bridge." "The water eyes at the Welcome Gate are all female. I suspect the male ones have all been assigned to Black Stone City as eyeglasses. Now that’s a serious move—effectively, they’ve taken them as hostages. The females can only stay here, obediently following orders." "So this inspection truly takes thought. Those women watching you closely—actually, it’s the Loyal Guards of Black Stone City keeping an eye on you. That’s why Black Stone City is so secure. Think about it—this surveillance begins even from hundreds of miles away." Fei Tang stared, dumbfounded: So the water eyes are nothing more than remote cameras? That’s why the posters in the work shed feature *The World of Chu Man*. That’s why yesterday’s woman said, "Call all your sisters together." "It's no wonder they ask people to remove their hats and masks, to straighten their posture and look up—everything is simply to make it easier for those behind the eyes to observe. Chang Dong asked, "Are the officers patrolling the welcoming gate ordinary Yulin Guards?" "That depends. For ordinary citizens, the regular Yulin Guards will simply let them pass. But if someone comes from a prominent background or has an unusual origin, they'll certainly need to involve the higher-ups." Li Jinao shifted his focus, completely absorbed in the novelty of the welcoming gate: "Also, when you exit through the tunnel, a water bubble forms around you, and then the water tongue lifts and carries that bubble upward—fast as a flash!" ... Chang Dong turned to Ye Liuxi. Last time, it was someone from the Scorpion's Eye who had let her pass, mistaking her for a Qingzhi Lady, and even gifted her a barrel of gasoline upon parting. This time, it's the Yulin Guards from Black Stone City who are giving her passage—though the reason remains unclear—and they've also offered her a generous gift. So, are you truly from the Scorpion's Eye, or are you actually a Yulin Guard?" Yet, no matter which side she was on, she herself had said it was simply "taking one step at a time, falling into the well-defined traps set by others." Perhaps, with a little more walking, the truth would soon emerge. —— The next morning, after breakfast, the shopkeeper escorted them to the door and looked up at the sky once again: "It's going to snow today. Not during the day, but in the evening as well..." With such cold weather, it wouldn't be comfortable for Li Jin'ao to sit on the roof anymore. Chang Dong cleared out a space in the back of the truck for Li Jin'ao to sit, with two chickens to accompany him. Li Jin'ao looked at Zhunshan River with an ever-growing admiration—indeed, what one loses is often the most precious. How had she so easily given up Zhunshan River at the beginning? She had always thought the next one would be better. Instead, Zhunshihai had arrived. …… The journey to Black Stone City lasted the entire day. After sunset, they entered a broad highway paved with smooth black stones, with luminous light pillars on both sides. The lights would glow even before the vehicles arrived, and dim as Snow particles began to drift down from the sky. Ding Liu reached out to catch them, but the particles were too fine; when she pulled her hand back, they had already melted into a small spot of water on her palm. After a long while, the snow grew heavier and larger, and gradually, the black stone city came into view—tall, majestic, square, with sharp, well-defined edges, like a massive seal resting firmly beneath the sky. Fei Tang couldn't help but lean forward to look, snowflakes brushing her eyes and cheeks: "Dong, look! It really looks like the ancient city walls of Xi'an." Chang Dong slowly brought the vehicle to a stop. Ahead, about fifty meters away, several vehicles were parked, differing in style but all painted a bright black. On each, the headlights fluttered with banners of birds. As Chang Dong stopped, the vehicles one by one turned on their headlights, forming a nearly continuous arc of light; one even had a powerful roof-mounted spotlight, so bright it made Chang Dong have to keep his eyes open. It was precisely from that vehicle that an elderly man with white hair stepped down. Yexiaolisi's heart suddenly beat rapidly; she couldn't quite explain why, and instinctively pushed open the car door and stepped out. Snowflakes drifted across her eyebrows, cheeks, and lips. As she approached the old man, a strong gust of wind blew so hard that she could barely open her eyes—just then, the old man's words reached her. "Yexiaolisi, you've come back, haven't you?"